Just Like You
by LadyRitsu
Summary: Nine days before the Cell Games, Gohan realizes a horrible truth; he is scared. He is scared that he will lose his father for good. But can our ever cheerful hero, Son Goku cheer the young Saiyan up? ONE SHOT.
**Hello Everyone! I hope everyone is having a great day! It's been a while since I wrote a request. This fic is actually an idea from Ms. Charismatic Beauty. So if yo really like this fic, please thank her. If you did not like this fic well blame it all on me for such terrible writing. Anyways, without further ado here is "Just Like You"**

 **DIZCLAIMER: Dragon Ball Z is all own by a wonderful man named Akira Toriyama, Funimation a FujiTv please support its official release.**

 _ **Just Like You**_

To say that Gohan is concerned is an understatement. To say that he is apprehensive is perhaps another understatement as well. No, the best word to describe the way the young half Saiyan is scared. No, terrified… actually…there are no words to really describe how Gohan feels.

But he is feeling something, and he does not like this feeling one bit.

Gohan had snuck out from his room, he really did not go far. The young half Saiyan merely climbed out of his window and took a seat under the tree outside his bedroom window. He and his father, Goku had finished training in the Hypobolic Time Chamber a few days ago and they had both emerged with higher power levels. He had never felt so much stronger in his entire life! The whole purpose of training in the Hypobolic Time Chamber is to become strong enough to defeat Cell. Cell, had recently announced to the entire world about his twisted tournament basically, if anyone defeats him, their Earth is saved. If no one defeats Cell, he destroys the world. All this, will happen in just nine days.

The fate of the world once again, is in his hands.

But fighting Cell is not really Gohan's concern…it was his father. Moments after they had gotten out of the chamber, Goku used instant transmission to check out Cell's power. About two minutes later, his father had returned on Kami's Lookout and admitted to everyone that he thinks, without a doubt, Cell would beat him. Naturally, this caused an alarm amongst his friends, even Gohan. But his father laughed it off, as if someone had told him a good joke, and smiled at his only son.

Gohan had assumed he and his father will go training once again. He had assumed his father will smile at everyone and assure them that everything was going to be alright. Like he always did. Instead, his father had announced to everyone that he and Gohan had to go to Master Roshi's house to pick up ChiChi.

Instead of training or meditating or something to prepare themselves on their fight against Cell, they had returned home, and assumed their social norm duties, like nothing had happened. As if Cell had never made the announcement of destroying the Earth in nine days.

Gohan watches the cool breeze gently sway the long, evergreen grass before him. He listened to the birds chirping, and the rustle of the trees. He sighs.

Gohan…is afraid...for his father. Gohan feels like he will lose him...forever. Sure, his father had died once, but he came back thanks to the DragonBalls. He had also nearly died several times before. Goku is by no means a stranger to danger. But the half Saiyan cannot help but to have this feeling…that maybe this time…his father will die and he won't come back.

Ever.

This horrible premonition is being feed by his father's peculiar behavior. Or…rather… _calm_ behavior. For one thing, Goku is not training something he had always begged ChiChi if he could do once he had finished his chores. The second, Goku is being awfully obedient to ChiChi. If ChiChi asks him to get some firewood, Goku would do it in a jiffy without a single complaint, or a petty bargain. An action ChiChi seemed most happy about. But is causing the young boy turmoil.

What is his father thinking? Is this his way of giving up? Or is there some kind of strategy that Goku will reveal once the Cell Games begin? He wanted to tell something about this. Gohan knows his can't keep these feelings all to himself. His father-dare he say it- _wouldn't_ understand. And his mother would not hear a word of it. He wished he could let these feelings go and just be carefree and cheerful like his dad.

Gohan shakes his head. He is being ridiculous, he had to stop thinking about this trivial thoughts. He had to believe in his father, his friends and himself. They are going to make it! They will defeat Cell!

But at what cost?

"Stop!" Gohan whispers under his breath, "Stop thinking about those things! You've got to believe in yourself, Dad and everyone else!"

He stares up at the clear blue sky. He closes his eyes. He has to calm down. He has to relax and enjoy the next few days in peace just like his father is doing-or rather _seems_ to be doing.

He slowly opens is eyes.

A familiar voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Gohan!" Goku calls from the other end of the house.

"Hey Dad!"

His father smiles as he reaches him, "There you are!" he said, "Mom's been lookin' all over for you! Lunch is ready! We gotta go eat before it gets cold!"

"U-um, yeah! Sure…" Gohan said. He slowly gets up and dusted off the dirt that may be on his pants.

As he is about to follow his dad, Gohan notices a peculiar expression on his father's face. "D-Dad?" the youth asks, "Wh-what's wrong?"

"Why are you crying?" Goku asks suddenly.

Gohan blinks at him in confusion, "Wh-what?" the boy stammers, "Crying?" He pats his face, and sure enough, there is a trail of tears running down his face. Since when did he start to cry?

Embarrassed, Gohan hastily wipes off the tears with the sleeves of his shirt. "Must have gotten something in my eye," he replies carefully, trying to keep his voice calm and even.

But his father did not seem to buy it, he places both hands on his son's shoulders and looks at him straight in the eye. His expression serious. "Gohan, tell me what's wrong."

"We can't keep Mom waiting," Gohan said hoping to change the subject, "You know how Mom gets when we make her wait for too long," he smiles at his father. Maybe if he brings ChiChi into the conversation this will get his father to drop the subject.

"She'll understand," is Goku's reply. Gohan swallows. He honestly wanted to tell his father everything, about his troubles, and his concern for his father's safety. But he didn't want him to worry, or his mother or his friends. He wanted to smile and be cheerful just like his father is.

Goku straightens himself to his full height. With his smile returning on his face, "Come on, I won't bite!" he says cheerfully.

Gohan stares at his father for a bit, then he sighs.

"Dad…I'm scared…" he begins.

His father raises an eyebrow, "Of ChiChi? Don't worry I'll just tell her…"

"No, Dad…" Gohan interrupts, "Of this…of all this…" he waves his hand out in front of him, "Of this…messed up tournament!" he looks up at his father, "I've been scared several times before! I was scared when Radits took me. I was scared when Vegeta and Nappa came and killed everyone. I was scared when we went to Planet Namek and Freiza nearly killed you!" Gohan's fist shook, a single tear ran down his face and fell into the ground.

He takes another deep breath, "But d-deep inside…I always knew we would be alright. Th-that we w-would make it and everything is going to be o-okay…" He sniffles and hastily wipes away his tears with his sleeve, but the tears kept running down.

"B-But…I'm really scared this time…I'm having this horrible feeling…and-and…" Gohan hiccups, but he takes another deep breath, "No matter how much I tell myself…w-we w-would be okay…I-It's just!" Gohan covered his face. He wanted the tears to stop, he wanted these feelings to stop. He wanted to be happy and carefree just like his dad.

"I-I just!" Gohan begins again, his breath shuttering, "I just d-don't wanna lose you…d-dad!" At that point, Gohan could not speak anymore. He gave himself into those feelings he had been trying to suppress for these past few days. More importantly, he made his point across.

Now, all he wanted to do is cry, cry and let all his frustrations out.

Gohan felt his dad stand there for a bit. Looking down at his son, wipe away his tears. His expressions hard to read. At that point, Gohan felt ashamed. Is he not his father's son? Is he not a Son Gohan? He should believe in everyone and himself. He should not let a being such as Cell get the best of him. How could he had let Cell do that? Had Goku not taught him anything at all?

He felt his father place a hand on his shoulder once again, making the young half Saiyan look up at his father. Goku is smiling, "It's okay to be worried about those kinds of things, son." He said calmly. Goku bends himself slightly so that he could be at the same eye level as his son.

"You have every right to be worried. It's only natural." He continues.

Gohan hiccups again, "H-How can you b-be so calm?"

Goku looks up thoughtfully at the sky, "I don't know…" he admitted, "But you just gotta believe in yourself, Gohan. Believe in our friends and family…we can do this!" He gives his son a confident smile, "We can beat Cell!"

Gohan could not help but to notice how his dad did not mention to believe in his father. But he brush that thought aside. Then, a new thought occurred to him. A thought he heard Trunks and the others mentioned on the day he and Goku walked out of the Hypobolic Time Chamber.

"D-Dad…" Gohan begins slowly, finally calming down, "Do…Do you have some kind of strategy? Or…" he bit his lip, wondering if he could go on. He recalled how on that day someone had also asked Goku the same thing, but Goku brushed it off. Gohan knew, more than anything, Goku has full faith and trust in his friends. He tells them anything. Goku is not the type to keep secrets. But if he decided to keep something from his friends. What makes him think his father will confess to Gohan?

He might as well try.

"Do-do you know something…about Cell…that we don't?" he asks studying his father's expressions.

But Goku only had a smile on his face. He chuckles and ruffles his son's now blonde hair.

"About Cell?" he asks and he shrugs, "Only as much as everyone else."

Then, Goku's eyes widen in alarm, "Gohan, we gotta hurry! We can't keep ChiChi waiting!"

Now it is Gohan's turn to panic, "Y-You're right Dad! She's gonna kill us!"

And sure enough a second later a loud, shrill voice echoed throughout the mountains the sound originating from the Son house.

"GOHAN! GOKU! IF YOU BOYS ARE NOT HERE IN THE NEXT FIVE SECONDS IT WILL BE BOTH OF YOUR HEADS!"

Both Goku and Gohan stiffened, "Y-Yes ma'am!" the said simultaneously and ran inside the house.

 **The reason why I named this fic "Just Like You" I feel like Gohan probably felt the pressure that he had to be like his father. And I think, many times, Goku felt like Gohan is suppose to be like him. Because of the simple reason that Gohan is his son. Especially during that time when Piccolo had told Goku that Gohan is not a figher. I think that confirms my suspicions that maybe Goku sees Gohan as an extension of himself and he forgets that Gohan is Gohan and not Son Goku. And because Gohan respects and honors his father he feels more pressured to become like him, when deep, down inside, Gohan knew at a young age that he could never be like his father. Poor Gohan.** **As soon as I got PMed from Ms. Charismatic Beauty about this fic I realized a horrible truth: I had never watched the Cell games in its entirety. I know! I know! I should be ashamed! And the thing is I had always assumed that I did watch the whole thing. Luckily I watched MOST of the Cell Games from my childhood(just the fights) And when she mentioned to write a fic during the nine days before the Cell Games I was like..."what? What nine days?" So I kinda cheated and had to go to YouTube and figure that out. I'm so ashamed about this guys! I know! What kind of DBZ fan am I?! :( Anyways, please tell me your thoughts about this fic...was it bad? Horrible? Were you lost? Was it so-so? Whatever thought you had about this fic, please let me know.**


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